On 28th -30th October, the Theatre Group will take to the stage in bourgeois style with their interpretation of Pains of Youth by Ferdinand Bruckner (trans. by Martin Crimp). The 1926 play follows the lives of seven youths (most of whom are medical students) who are sharing a boarding house in Post-First World War Vienna, depicting how they manipulate and corrupt each other as part of their self-destructive power games.

This coming-of-age masterpiece perfectly captures, in a running time of just two hours, the mind set of seven characters that were raised in a country plagued with conflict and crippled by identity crisis. The result is a dramatic explosion of emotion, entropy and erotica which the audience is bound to enjoy.

However, the plot itself is only one of many alluring aspects of this performance. The directors, Graeme Du Plessis and Emily Clarke, have evidently put a great deal of work into the characterisation of the piece which gives real depth and intrigue to each individual, especially Desiree –the sexually ambiguous lost-soul, played by Rosy Byrne who described her character as “sexual, exciting and dramatic”. For this production, Theatre Group have assembled a promising cast full of fresh, new talent and I would strongly advise any theatre-goer to keep an eye out for these names starring in future performances around Leeds.

Graeme thinks that University of Leeds students will find the chaotic story of Pains of Youth as relatable and accessible as he did when he first saw it performed in London, and from what I’ve seen, you will certainly not be disappointed by this take on a twentieth century classic; it’s an event not to be missed.

Tickets for Pains of Youth are on sale at the union and online now. The show is coming to the Banham Theatre in the Michael Sadler Building from Tuesday 28th – Thursday 30th October.

Cameron Tallant

Image: LUU Theatre Group/Facebook